I have heard about, addictions such as alcohol and drugs that youth abuse to feel comforted. However never before have I heard about a story such as "Ill Quit Cutting When You Quit Smoking." The girl in the story does not abuse heroine, or drink alcohol, instead, she mutilates herself. She wants her mother to quit smoking before she quits cutting. It all started when one day she was washing the dishes and a piece of glass cut her by mistake she did not notice until she saw the blood. Her feeling of anger and tension was replaced with joy. This story was placed at the very beginning of the piece, serving as a way of capturing the listeners' attention. The narration was filled with emotion, and the stern tone in her voice helps to make the piece authentic, you can feel her hurt. The music added to the feeling of great pain. The pacing in this piece is what I like most it flowed smoothly, from mistakenly cutting herself; to gradually reaching a point where she feels cutting is living. However I felt that toward the ending there were unnecessary gaps where there was no music, and it distracted me. I will definitely remember this piece for years to come; it is rare and very interesting."
This piece had me interested right from the title. Unlike most teenagers April didn't choose to cut but sort of happened upon it. I like how it took a common problem (though most families don't know or ignore it) and put a new spin on it. I've heard many things that say that cutting is bad and that you're a bad person if you cut and a "bad friend" (like your friend stated) but nothing that shines a positive light on it.
I like how the narrator gives this to us as if reading her diary and going about her day to day life and slowly showing us that maybe she does have a solid reason to do what she is doing. She even tells us that unlike most teens April isn't ashamed of cutting but rather looks proudly upon her scars. It is also interesting that though she herself has a smoking problem Aprils mother says that her daughter has all the problems. Although I like this piece, I do hope your mother stops smoking.
"No sane person intentionally hurts themselves," April Winburn says in this autobiographical explanation of cutting, a version of self-mutilation that has become disturbingly common among adolescent girls, Her statement is meant to mock the double standards set by the adults in her life, chiefly a chain-smoking mother who rues her daughter's bizarre addiction but won't model the recovery process by ending her own cycle of abuse. The same accusatory tone permeates WInburn's piece and keeps it from rising above the level of adolescent angst. That's unfortunate because Winburn has focused on a topic of great importance to parents, educators, and other youths, and she makes some powerful and intelligent connections. But the lack of outside commentary, research, or a broader context for understanding the practice of cutting causes this documentary to sound more like a recruiting tool than a cautionary tale.
I hope Winburn will continue sharing her impressive voice with us. But first I wish she would concentrate on getting well.
[redacted]
Posted on September 06, 2006 at 02:48 PM
| Permalink
?We cut to feel alive,? says April Winburn, the young producer -- and presumable narrator -- of this three minute plus segment. From April we hear how she came to cut and her view that it?s no worse than drinking or the smoking she wants to see her mother quit.
The piece compresses of a larger audio diary: it floats narrative bits on top of an electronic hiphop bed. This music?s just as cool in tone as April?s detached and compressed narration. The effect is chilling and disturbing, even if we don?t get a really good sense of WHY cutting is such a release. It simply is, even when it lands April in the hospital. In fact, it?s in the hospital she meets others like her who too see life affirmation in the practice.
Even without the ?why,? this is a chilling little module, enhanced by crisp narration and a good, appropriate, believable read. It would work well in a program about teen issues or perhaps in one on addictions.
Anthea Raymond
PRX Editorial Board
September 6, 2006
Los Angeles
This piece offers a little different perspective on the teen phenomenon known to most as "cutting": the narrator happened upon it by accident while washing the dishes, instead of making a decision to try it like most. In fact, it's this kind of unconventional energy that permeates the piece. Segments and thoughts are purposely disjointed, giving the listener the impression of a stream-of-consciousness or a diary being flipped through. Adding to the disjointed feeling is the juxtaposition of the diary entries; the narrator insists that "cutting works" while her life crashes down around her.
The piece does a great job of describing an atmosphere in which one would choose to cut, and exploring how that atmosphere would affect a cutter as time goes on. The only thing missing is a slightly deeper explanation of the feelings that cutting itself brings on - why does the act make you feel better? Even without the answer, this piece would still be an excellent addition to any show on teen health or teen social issues, as the emergence of cutting is now too big to safely ignore.
Comments for I'll Quit Cutting When You Quit Smoking
Produced by April Winbun for Curie Youth Radio
Other pieces by Curie Youth Radio
Rating Summary
5 comments
Kyra Joseph
Posted on November 17, 2006 at 07:13 AM | Permalink
Review of I'll Quit Cutting When You Quit Smoking
I have heard about, addictions such as alcohol and drugs that youth abuse to feel comforted. However never before have I heard about a story such as "Ill Quit Cutting When You Quit Smoking." The girl in the story does not abuse heroine, or drink alcohol, instead, she mutilates herself. She wants her mother to quit smoking before she quits cutting. It all started when one day she was washing the dishes and a piece of glass cut her by mistake she did not notice until she saw the blood. Her feeling of anger and tension was replaced with joy. This story was placed at the very beginning of the piece, serving as a way of capturing the listeners' attention. The narration was filled with emotion, and the stern tone in her voice helps to make the piece authentic, you can feel her hurt. The music added to the feeling of great pain. The pacing in this piece is what I like most it flowed smoothly, from mistakenly cutting herself; to gradually reaching a point where she feels cutting is living. However I felt that toward the ending there were unnecessary gaps where there was no music, and it distracted me. I will definitely remember this piece for years to come; it is rare and very interesting."
Swati Rayasam
Posted on October 02, 2006 at 06:59 PM | Permalink
Review of I'll Quit Cutting When You Quit Smoking
This piece had me interested right from the title. Unlike most teenagers April didn't choose to cut but sort of happened upon it. I like how it took a common problem (though most families don't know or ignore it) and put a new spin on it. I've heard many things that say that cutting is bad and that you're a bad person if you cut and a "bad friend" (like your friend stated) but nothing that shines a positive light on it.
I like how the narrator gives this to us as if reading her diary and going about her day to day life and slowly showing us that maybe she does have a solid reason to do what she is doing. She even tells us that unlike most teens April isn't ashamed of cutting but rather looks proudly upon her scars. It is also interesting that though she herself has a smoking problem Aprils mother says that her daughter has all the problems. Although I like this piece, I do hope your mother stops smoking.
Holly Holland
Posted on September 08, 2006 at 12:29 PM | Permalink
Review of I'll Quit Cutting When You Quit Smoking
"No sane person intentionally hurts themselves," April Winburn says in this autobiographical explanation of cutting, a version of self-mutilation that has become disturbingly common among adolescent girls, Her statement is meant to mock the double standards set by the adults in her life, chiefly a chain-smoking mother who rues her daughter's bizarre addiction but won't model the recovery process by ending her own cycle of abuse. The same accusatory tone permeates WInburn's piece and keeps it from rising above the level of adolescent angst. That's unfortunate because Winburn has focused on a topic of great importance to parents, educators, and other youths, and she makes some powerful and intelligent connections. But the lack of outside commentary, research, or a broader context for understanding the practice of cutting causes this documentary to sound more like a recruiting tool than a cautionary tale.
I hope Winburn will continue sharing her impressive voice with us. But first I wish she would concentrate on getting well.
[redacted]
Posted on September 06, 2006 at 02:48 PM | Permalink
Review of I'll Quit Cutting When You Quit Smoking
Three Stars
?We cut to feel alive,? says April Winburn, the young producer -- and presumable narrator -- of this three minute plus segment. From April we hear how she came to cut and her view that it?s no worse than drinking or the smoking she wants to see her mother quit.
The piece compresses of a larger audio diary: it floats narrative bits on top of an electronic hiphop bed. This music?s just as cool in tone as April?s detached and compressed narration. The effect is chilling and disturbing, even if we don?t get a really good sense of WHY cutting is such a release. It simply is, even when it lands April in the hospital. In fact, it?s in the hospital she meets others like her who too see life affirmation in the practice.
Even without the ?why,? this is a chilling little module, enhanced by crisp narration and a good, appropriate, believable read. It would work well in a program about teen issues or perhaps in one on addictions.
Anthea Raymond
PRX Editorial Board
September 6, 2006
Los Angeles
Emily Raymond
Posted on August 03, 2006 at 09:13 AM | Permalink
Review of I'll Quit Cutting When You Quit Smoking
This piece offers a little different perspective on the teen phenomenon known to most as "cutting": the narrator happened upon it by accident while washing the dishes, instead of making a decision to try it like most. In fact, it's this kind of unconventional energy that permeates the piece. Segments and thoughts are purposely disjointed, giving the listener the impression of a stream-of-consciousness or a diary being flipped through. Adding to the disjointed feeling is the juxtaposition of the diary entries; the narrator insists that "cutting works" while her life crashes down around her.
The piece does a great job of describing an atmosphere in which one would choose to cut, and exploring how that atmosphere would affect a cutter as time goes on. The only thing missing is a slightly deeper explanation of the feelings that cutting itself brings on - why does the act make you feel better? Even without the answer, this piece would still be an excellent addition to any show on teen health or teen social issues, as the emergence of cutting is now too big to safely ignore.